Parents who are thinking of taking their small children to "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" should note that the film has earned a PG rating from the Motion Picture Association of America for battle sequences and frightening moments.

The gentle fantasy of C.S. Lewis, with its snowy landscapes and talking animals, gives way to a fight-to-the-death battle between loyal Narnians and the ghoul-filled army of the White Witch.

While the intensity of children's films is clearly changing, the ratings are not, leaving parents to figure out on their own what's too terrifying for the smallest moviegoers.

The MPAA's system of assessing films for age-appropriateness hasn't been overhauled since PG-13 was introduced 20 years ago, after films such as "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" and "Gremlins" were deemed too frightening for PG.

"The line between what's a family movie and what's a general-audience movie has been blurring for years now," said Nina Jacobson, president of Walt Disney's Buena Vista Motion Picture Group. "Many families went to see 'Spider-Man' together, or 'Lord of the Rings.' That goes in the other direction, too — the CG-animated (computer generated) movies are also playing as general-audience entertainment."

Jacobson said that "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" is "intense" in parts and "appropriate for 7 and up, but it depends on the kid. It's up to the parent to decide what's right."